A Cure for Riba Rash?
Riba rash is little tiny bumps that start out very very small and then begin to itch as if you have chickenpox. in fact that is what I think of them as. If you itch them alot they can get infected and then scar. Yuck that is what happened to me.
I found that using a GOOD moisturizer (such an Gold Bond Extra Strength Tiple Action Relief for Dry & Itchy Skin in the green bottle with a red top) has worked WONDERS. But you must realize the most important thing is to moisturize CONSTANTLY = when your body is covered constantly with moisturizer it seems to kill off the rash. Doing it once won’t work.
Thats good news it seems, “riba rash” is a fairly frequent side effect and the Gold Bond Extra Strength Triple Action, green bottle with red cap has an almost iconic status within the Hep C treatment community as a solution. The bad news is that it doesn’t seem to be generally available here in the UK.
And remember, on treatment just moisturise the skin you want to keep 
July 15th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
two weeks ago i finished my 48th week of treatment. the virus is currently undetectable. for the past few weeks i have had burning and itching on my neck and chest. seriously i feel like scratching it right off. has anyone else experienced anything similar to this? while on the treatment i had the common itchy red puffy eyes . how long do the side effects last? perhaps ill try the gold bond
January 18th, 2007 at 11:16 am
A few months ago i shared a needle with an infected person i didn’t no was infected. when shouldi get testes? is their a cure? help me
March 5th, 2007 at 9:18 am
The rash you all are experiencing is Eczema. This is a side effect of Ribavirin. The doctor can give you a low percentage Hydro Cortisone cream. Take only warm baths and showers as hot water drys your skin and make you itch more. Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing. Cover yourself good with Eucurin lotion (no prescription needed). After it soaks in good, apply the cream the doctor will give you. Use detergent and fragrance-free laundry cleaners and body soaps.
March 8th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
OH MY GOD!! I am about 6 1/2 months into my 11 month treatment and have been itching like a mad woman this whole time! I thought it was just me and that there was nothing I could do…I hate going to the doctors unless it’s something major..I feel like I spend too MUCH time there to begin with. This helped me so much…going to the store to get some lotion after work! THANK YOU!!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:48 am
I am going on my 3rd month. The rash has been my major problem. And then there is some nausea, but not much. My doctor gave the Phenergan for that but it put me to sleep — can only take it at nights, and then there is the Insomnia.
I sure hope this works for you. Its a miserable thing.
MAKE SURE you call your doctor and get a prescription for Betamethasone. My doctor gave me Val 0.1% CRM 60 gm.
Please let me know how it works for you. I am curious.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I have gone through Peg-Intron injections and Ribavirin and that having failed, I am now on Infergen 1 shot per day and Ribavirin, It seems at least once a week I have the most infuriating itching and want to scratch my skin off. I went out and bought several itch creams but Gold Bond was like a miracle. It’s amazing how quickly it relieved an itching that made me want to cry.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
BTW, if I knew then (during my stint with snorting coke) what I know now, I would like to think I could have found another coping mechanism. Hep C and its treatment suck, but at least now we have a treatment FOR the thing. Love and good wishes to all of you.
November 22nd, 2007 at 12:25 am
I woke up after a few minutes sleep (insomnia) to the “itching” I googled hep c and itching and got this web site. Thank you I’ll try the gold bond tomorrow. What drugs work to help make it to the end? I get migraines, nausea, vommiting, shedding, insomnia (sometimes my mind races so bad, it feels like I’m tripping…without the fun). I get hypertonia at night. That’s where your muscles contract so tight, I wake up in pain. What drugs help?
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
hey. i started treatment in may…undetectable since july… will be on tx til next july… itching and rash are making me CRAZY! I have been itching since starting the treatment… drugs like atarax and benadryl give me a terrible feeling so wont work for me… i have tried everything.. except the gold bond cream… buying 5 jugs of it tomorrow to see if it helps… water, water, water….. to help with the other problems… to bridge… i tried bengay for the hypertonia and cramping of my legs…. that and chamomile tea…. it seems to help…. i am trying to avoid any other medications besides the pegalated interferon and ribavirin….
December 4th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Hi, the chickenpox type bumps on treatment ahhh yaaaa I do have those grrr drive me nuts but I just take antihystime and have bath followed by skin cream.. wooo hooo all good again except bumps still here covered on legs and arms . I am on week 23 of tx and cant wait till this is over … I am geno type 1b … nite all
December 26th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I’ve been diagnosed with Hep C for about 7 months now and the itching it just as all of you have described. I’m so happy to find all of you to identify with! My husband has had it! The itching, insomnia, lack of energy, the fights over the thermostat. Theres nothing worse than coming home to a hot, hot house!! What can I do to bring my energy back????
January 6th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
this is my 2nd time around with tx and the RASH. Its worse this time and infected. all over even my legs. And Josie, I hate living in a cold house. and this is only week 6.
January 8th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Worked out by trial&error (and comments from my gastro) I mix up the following.
Roughly equal parts of:
Calamine lotion,
Clotrimazol cream,
Clobetazol cream,
Cetaphil cream,
Germolene (a UK commercial skin wound cream, Clorxhexidine & Phenol),
and half portions of:
Lac-Hydrin lotion
Lidocaine gel
Zinc oxide.
(some-times it’s better without the lidocaine)
Dab it on the itchy, dry welts 2 or 3 x per day. Works fast and usually reduces or clears the rash. Lubricate skin throughly with an oatmeal cream, oatmeal and soy, oatmeal and menthol or oatmeal and shea butter, or an aloe vera gel, three or four times or more per day.
Only pure cotton next to the skin. Shower, not too hot nor too frequent, no soap but only an oatmeal shower gel, followed by Aveeno shower oil.
Drink water every chance, but check with your doctor about causing a possible potassium depletion — may need a supplement.
Anti-hystamine at night.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
OMG….nice to know others are feeling the rash (not really…but you know what I mean). It hardly ever stops. I’ve tried everything except this gold cream. I’m going to get it tomorrow! My itching has caused little scars. It’s ridulous, really. Of all the side effects that come with treatment….the itching is by far the worse. I just hope i don’t get a staf infection or something. Currently I’m on prescribed anti-itch pills…hydro??? and a prescribed cream. They don’t WORK. So much for the dermatologist. Oh well…i better stop bitching about it…because the more i think about it..the more i ITCH!